All Quiet On The Western Front 'And War Triptych'

World War I is a well-known historical event, which resulted in immense casualties and distress in the early 20th century. The war paved the way for significant political changes to occur, and entirely reshaped the European map. Propaganda of the war was published once veterans and families were comfortable enough to share their experiences subsequent to the drastic war. Erich Maria Remarque 's All Quiet on the Western Front and Otto Dix 's "Transporting the Wounded in Houthulst Forest" and "War Triptych," portray the notion that war dehumanizes its soldiers and strips them of their identities. Remarque demonstrates this idea by telling solemn stories about soldiers in the war, while Dix renders graphic images of the horrors of war. Both

In comparison to Dix, Remarque 's All Quiet on the Western Front depicts soldiers who are used to fighting on the front line; forcing them to forget how to adjust into a civilized society considering the horrors they face on a daily basis. Soldiers ' are familiar with their obligations on the front line as opposed to when they enter the real world after the war. Remarque includes a passage in which Paul, the protagonist of the novel, fights against his own conscience, reconnects with human morals, and ultimately concludes that war is real and that he must learn to adapt to it. After Paul stabs a Frenchman, he immediately questions if he would 've committed the killing if it were his loved ones, which uncovers his guilt built up inside of him. The author states, "Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform you could be my brother," implementing that there is no significant difference between all those who participate in war (pg. 223). In addition, Remarque includes a scene in which a soldier accompanies sick friends room to acquire his boots after his expected death. This illustrates the soldier 's selfishness since his scheme for the boots is quite inappropriate given the sick person 's situation (pg. 21). Lastly, Remarque incorporates a passage in which people faint while waiting to be served bones due to their lack of energy. The scene shows how the country is falling apart and could not provide its army with the basic necessities needed for keeping people alive and healthy. Remarque 's novel mainly focuses on telling terrifying stories that occurred in the war to show just how soldiers come out of war as